


A Reversal of Fortunes

by 87Tam_the_piemaker87



Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Bard is rich busy body, Fluff, Instant Attraction, M/M, Modern AU, Romance, Smut, Thranduil is in need of money, Top!Bard, bottom!Thranduil
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-03
Updated: 2016-02-03
Packaged: 2018-05-17 22:59:56
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,236
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5888536
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/87Tam_the_piemaker87/pseuds/87Tam_the_piemaker87
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Thranduil is below the breadline and very recently homeless.<br/>Bard is a career focused businessman who needs a nanny.<br/>(I was sick of poor!Bard and Rich!Thranduil okay??)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Thranduil flipped through the morning paper swiftly, combing his hair from his eyes as he reached the job section before scanning it eagerly. 

He had been on his arse for a few weeks, since his flat mate had kicked him out. He decided that it was time to turn his life around - get a house, a decent job with what qualifications he had, and save up for uni - even if he did end up going later on in life. 

There it was, the third column in, a holy grail of an advertisement embellished with a simple black boarder. 

          - A nanny needed for two  
            children in Cardiff, one  
            eight, one eleven.  
            Accomodation within  
            the house provided.  
            Parent pays well,  
            currently juggling  
            career and kids. E-mail  
             or call for more details -  
            029 564 253  
            BardBowman1979@outlook.com

Thranduil grinned and pulled his phone out, luckily he had one day left before his contract cut off. He brought up his email and began to type.

\- - - - - - 

Needless to say Thranduil was desperate to arrive at Mr. Bowman's house by the end of the week. It turned out he was an incredibly successful business man, and an incredibly foolish one - as he made an offer of two grand a month just for a twenty something to live in his house and play with his kids.  
Whoever said the world didn't need fools?

He could hardly believe the size of the house. It seemed to cover at least half a street, at least three of Thranduil's little childhood home could easily fit within it. He knocked on the pristine white front door tentatively, making to be loud enough for someone to hear but also not wanting to dirty the paint job.

It took a minute or so for someone to come to the door, and just as he raised his fist to knock again it swung open to reveal easily the most physically appealing man Thranduil had ever seen.

It was intimidating how gorgeous he was. He had shoulder length, black ringlets that were raked back - likely for convenience - from his face, his face that was so rugged and masculine but somehow so warm. 

Thranduil had to stop from biting his lip as he raked his eyes over dark stubble, and had to distract himself with other things. Such as how ridiculously well dressed this man was. From his pressed and dusted lapels to his polished shoes, this man practically shat money. 

"You must be Thranduil." The man grinned, such a warm and reassuring grin, and held a strong hand out for the younger man to shake. And what a hand it was. Thranduil was beginning to think that the powers that be were mocking him, because there was not one part of this man that didn't have him salivating.

He could have fainted at how rough and firm his fingers were, how his hand engulfed his own flimsy and pale ligament. He didn't know weather to come in his pants or feel inadequate. 

"...Yes." was the first word that he finally mumbled, unsure of how long he had been staring at the other. 

"And you know my name well enough." Bard grinned, placing a hand on the small of Thranduil's back, only exacerbating to his lack of concentration. He led Thranduil through the ivory palace of a house, to a sitting room with two large leather sofas, a glass coffee table, and a plasma screen TV.

Dead in the middle, on a fluffy white rug, was a young girl with some sort of book, and an even younger boy who was fiddling with a large toy dragon with all sorts of cool noises and actions. Both looked happy, not even remotely as neglected as Bard made out over the phone. So he was modest too, what wasn't this guy?

"Kids, come and meet your nanny." Bard said softly, smiling as the two bounded excitedly towards them. 

"Oh wow, you're a boy? Da, can nannies be boys?" The boy tilted his head, excited at the prospect of having a nanny he could feel a little easier about playing and sharing his toys with. Thranduil laughed.

"Of course they can, Bain." Bard rolled his eyes fondly, before Sigrid piped up. 

"You're a pretty boy though. Da, he's perfect! How did you know we'd love him?" 

"I didn't, we haven't met yet. I suppose it was just a lucky guess." He grinned. 

"Any way mess makers, your old da's gotta work now. Bring it in." He held his arms out and crouched slightly to accomodate his children, and both hugged him tightly in goodbye. 

"I love you both. Be good." Bard kissed them both and turned to Thranduil. 

"Lunch is at twelve for them, dinner at seven. If I'm late back just put it in the microwave for me, alright?"  
Thranduil had little time to confirm before Bard pressed on. 

"Bath and bed by eight. Then your time is your time, obviously. Do not give them fizzy drinks under any circumstances and ring me if you need anything." He said firmly, all warmth gone from his face as he barked orders at the blonde.

Thranduil didn't take offense. He assumed it was just him getting into work mode. Bard nodded his goodbye and left the room in a blink, leaving Thranduil alone with two new children, gazing up at him with their father's beautiful eyes

"Well then kiddies, what do you do for fun?" 

\- - - - - - 

 Bard meanwhile, needed to absorb himself into his work, desperate to shake his beautiful blonde employee out of his head.


	2. Clueless

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two children are chaotic. Thranduil has to pick up the pieces.

It was nine PM by the time Bard got home. The kids had been sent off to bed early. It was going well initially, but then Bain picked a fight with sigrid over which film to watch.

Sigrid wanted Atlantis, the lost Empire because mole made her laugh and her head was stuck in the clouds - or the bottom of the ocean - as it was, and Bain wanted to watch Frozen because quote un-quote 'Elsa is really cool and I wish I could kill people with frost.'  
Rather morbid for an eight year old, but Thranduil was exhausted at this point and didn't question it. 

It ended in an all out fight, with Bain pulling Sigrid's hair and Sigrid kicking her brother in the shins, and had landed them both an early bedtime. (Thranduil was no pushover.)

He pushed himself off of the sofa groggily, setting down a book on Welsh myths he had found on one of Bard's countless bookshelfs. He smiled weakly at the equally exhausted man, feeling his stomach knot as he found how beautiful the other was once more. 

"I made lasagna. It's in the microwave as you asked." He nodded, and Bard trudged his way to the kitchen with a nod of thanks.

"How was work?" Thranduil pushed, eager to make conversation with the older man.  A deep sigh from the kitchen accompanied by the low buzz of the microwave silenced him.

"Long. Strenuous. I don't like to talk about it." Bard said gruffly. The blonde frowned and walked to the kitchen.

"I trust your day was good? How were the kids?" He murmured, loosening his tie and rolling up his sleeves, leaning patiently against the work top.

"Um...good as gold, until the end. They fought over a movie and it got physical-" Bard tutted and rolled his eyes at this, but otherwise kept quiet.

"So I sent them to bed early." The brunette smirked and nodded, removing his plate from the microwave and pulling a fork from the drawer.

"You handled it well. Good boy." He said softly, before realising what he had said.  
Thranduil blushed insanely and tried to ignore the kick of arousal the praise sent through him. 

"Sorry, I'm so used to it with Bain." Bard grunted after a moment of awkward silence.

"He's the only other lad I'm ever around. Most of them in work are my age. You seem to be settled in well. Did you eat?" 

Thranduil nodded, blush never subsiding.

"Good." He muttered, looking up from his fork at the blonde and trying to surpress a smirk at the sight before him. The lad really was beautiful, as men went.

He had those ice cold eyes, almost intimidating, but the long, fluttering eyelashes that framed them made him look more tempting than anything else. Not to mention the rest of his face. His white skin, likely so soft and warm.

He even had these full, almost pouting lips - like he knew exactly what he was doing to Bard every time he looked at him. And that hair...that flaxen, lengthy waterfall. So perfect for pulling and fisting it shortened his trousers just to think about it.

"You've worked hard today. I'll talk to the kids tomorrow. If they speak in your favour, this'll be a permanent thing. I'll leave money on the table, take them to the cinema or something." He shrugged, placing his plate in the sink before running a large hand through his hair.  
Thranduil quirked a brow.

"And which of the million tables in this vast, Roman Palazzo do you mean?" He asked dryly, causing Bard to laugh and fumble in his trouser pocket, pulling out ten20 pound notes.  
Thranduil's jaw dropped unashamedly.

"Here. Get yourself something as well." He winked, stuffing the money into Thranduil's neckline when he didn't take it and gesturing with his head for them to move out.

"I'm gonna hit the hay. Good luck for tomorrow." He grinned, leaving the room. Thranduil blinked down at the money and frowned confusedly.  
-  
"This is getting ridiculous, Percy!" Bard barked down the phone. Thranduil winced and placed the empty plates in the sink, making to wash them. Sigrid bounded up to her father cheerfully, waving another book in his face.

\- - - - -

"Da, da!" 

"Not now sweetheart." Bard said abruptly, as softly and patiently as he could manage. 

"I don't care if Thorin Oakenshield is on the other line! You will listen to me and you willListen to me now!" 

Bain chimed in, nagging his father about some sort of toy.

"No Bain."

"But Daaaa!"

Bard grunted and pinched his nose in desperate stress.

"I said no. No, Sigrid, don't do that. Percy, what do you mean Thorin Oakenshield is actually on the other line?! What the fuck do you mean?!" 

"Da!"

"No!"

"But Da!"

"SHUT UP!"

"Da, look at this though!"

"SIGRID" Bard clenched his fist as he tried to concentrate on what Percy was saying.

"We can't lose this deal, Perc- Bain, get down from there!"

"No, Da, I'm a monkey!"

"Daaaa, listen to me!" 

"BOTH OF YOU JUST FUCK OFF!" Bard snapped finally, the stress of his children getting to him. The house fell silent in shock. Bain's bottom lip began to wobble, and soon he gave way to full blown sobs. Sigrid wasn't far behind. 

Bard's face creased with worry. 

"Come on, I'm sorry -" he tried feebly, moving his hands to gently pat his children's back. It didn't seem to work.  
Thranduil rolled his eyes and dumped the dishes in the sink, sweeping in to survey the scene.

"Step away." He tutted, patience wearing thin as he noted how the older man had no conception of how to truly deal with a child. 

"Come here, sweethearts." The blonde cooed, crouching down to make himself eye-level with Bain and stroke his reddened face, holding his arms out for both children. 

"Now your father loves you very much, you know that." Sigrid nodded and sniffled, but Bain shook his head, sobbing harder. Bard watched with a sense of exasperation.

"He really does. And you know the reason he's so busy?" Two shaking heads.

"Because he wants to work really really hard, to give you both everything you deserve. But sometimes daddy needs to be left alone so he can do that, do you see?"

"But we want some time with him." Sigrid mumbled, wiping her eyes.  
Bard surveyed the scene, half guilty, half reverent of the magic that Thranduil was working upon the two as they began to calm down.

"I know, Princess. That's why he hired me, hmm? If you ever need something, you come to me. And your daddy will see you on the weekends, of course." Thranduil shot him a warning glare. 

"Do you know how much daddy loves you two?" Bard asked unevenly, looking to the younger man as if for confirmation before approaching his children. 

"So much that I've given Thranduil money for you three to do something really fun while I go to boring old work."

"Can we go to the cinema?" Sigrid asked hopefully, looking to Bard for confirmation. Bain's own huge brown eyes filled with hope as well. 

"Of course, whatever you want." 

"Thanks Da!" They both chimed, moving to hug their father. Because even if things were a little difficult at times, both parties knew that the strains arose only ever out of love. It impressed Bard, sometimes, how mature his own little babies could be.

He kissed them both goodbye before leading Thranduil towards the front door with him. 

"Thank you for that. You know how to diffuse a situation." He grinned weakly, locking eyes with the other man. 

"No problem, I've had experience. But we need to talk when you get home."  
Bard frowned, a glimmer of fear passing over his face. Thranduil smiled, to lighten the mood.

"Just go."


End file.
